I have seen these new models and they are good looking. Are you sure they come with Bi-sonic Pups? If I recall you can get replica Hagstroms from Hammon Engineering, but they are not stock on instruments.

I love Starfire's... I'm not really familiar with the newish ones (although very excited about the new Guild reissue announced recently). For me, I can't get beyond the change to the upper body/horns. It really takes away from the vintage vibe. Just my 2 cents.

This is my early 60's Hagstrom Coronado IV with Bi-Sonics. Fred Hammon's were true aesthetic repro's but I believe he has ceased production. There are several makers that are currently making versions of them.

It's a pickup that was developed by Hagstrom in the 60s and looks like the ones above, with a black plastic body and a chrome ring. There was a deal between Hagstrom and Guild to use them on Starfire and other basses back then (and also a marriage between the Dronge and Hagstrom family). They are single coil pickups, despite what looks like two rows of polepieces. When Rick Turner and Ron Wickersham ran tests on all the pickups they could find in the late 60s, the Bisonics were found to be the most wide range and flat frequency they could find, which was made even better when a buffer was built on the bottom of each pickup. This was one of the reasons that Starfires were chosen by Casady and Lesh back in the day. They were discontinued, I think, around 1970-71 and replaced by Guild humbuckers which were much more lackluster pickups.

The picture of the production version on Guild's site seems to show more traditional upper bouts, and the p/up looks more Bi-Sonic. I e-mailed Guild to ask about the p/ups; will, of course report back when/if I get a reply. Oh, and I think it was Ron & Bear who did the testing (I'd check, but Grateful Dead Gear is in the bathroom, and she's showering.)

Right, I was kind of shooting in the dark, but I think you understand what I was getting at! :-) I do know it was Rick who came up with the two magnet thing as I bought extra magnets from him about 20 years ago after corresponding with him about the pickups.

Edwin ,I found the Darling-Pair Emitter followers on ebay a few years ago and purchased a few ( Texas Instruments). I had the good fortune of being able to speak to Mr. Ron Wickersham about this at the last Alembic gathering.

In regards to adding magnet material ; I had a pair of Bisonics once that had too much magnet material added and the result was not conducive to permit the stings to sustain at their full potential. Some magnet "hot rodding" has a desirable effect but in the case of the pickups that I once had that were " hot rodded : with extra magnet material by the previous owner and NOT Alembic this was the case it appears. I would like to add the buffers (Darlington - Pair Emitter follower) to experiment with it I ever find some more Bisonic pickups.

I'm getting ready to put a few up for sale soon, but they are all old and some have that horrible bi-sonic pickup no one wants.;-) A 1966sf1 bridge pu red, a 1965 red sf1(15th one ever made) a 1968 sf1 sunburst bridge pu, a 1970 sf2 sunburst and possibly a red 1990s Rhode Island reissue sf2. I haven't decided on who exactly is up for sale but probably all since double bass is taking over my life. Pm me I guess until I make it official and this goes in the f/s forum.....love me some starfires but why would guild put the bisonic in the "cheaper" imports and the lame assed humbuckers in those way expensive USA ones......? Bear

Good one Bill! The first time I saw Genesis Phil Collins introduced the band & he included "Percy, the bisexual drum machine" He explained the Percy was bisexual because he didn't care who he played with!

There are 2 different "new" Starfire basses. The one in the original post, is one of a limited run of around 20, I believe. They were built in Guilds` Conn. plant and use N.O.S. Guild Humbuckers. The "Newark Street" line of basses are built in Korea, and the Bi-Sonic is neither a Hagstrom or a Dark Star, but a copy that was reverse engineered in Korea.

OK...that was rude...sorry! The second I hit 'POST' I realized I should have spelled one of the words a little more discretely...a#@*ole...something like that.

I looked for an 'EDIT POST' icon and found none.

My apologies...my hope is everyone can take it for the joke it was meant to be...nothing personal or pointed or said with anything but a hopeful smile!

Fact is I love old Guild and Hagstrom basses with Bisonic pickups. The newer Guilds are interesting and perplexing. I agree...why make the more expensive model with the 70's Guild humbucker that by all indications was not even close to the power, attitude, character and dynamics of a nice Bisonic.

The newer Guild 'Newark St Collection' version of the Starfire I seems to be very accurate and priced nicely. Do they really stand up to a nice old Guild Starfire of the same ilk...don't know.

I commend Fender/Guild for doing a great job on being as accurate as possible!

I've just got a 90's reissue starfire II I,ve split the coils with a tap and the single coil sound is much brighter, stronger and fuller than the lacklustre humbucker sound. if your struggling with the humbucker its cheaper than getting a bisonic or darkstar

The basic configuration is in the photo of the reverse of the pickup, the other photo shows the bass with the pickups reversed and coil taps in place.

the 2 coils are each at 2kohms but each pickup has a week and strong magnet and the strong coil has a much bigger signal. the first drawing is of the standard config and the second is of the rewire. The pickup case is earthed separately, but this is probably not necessary. the switch is a 6 pole 2 position on/on switch to either include or exclude the second coil as parallel.